Cool off this summer with some delicious macadamia nut ice cream. ©iStockphoto.com/brebca

When the temperature soars, few things are as refreshing as a big bowl of homemade ice cream. Made with crunchy and delicious macadamia nuts, this ice cream recipe creates a treat is sure to have you asking for seconds!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Directions:

Combine the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl, and beat until fluffy. In a saucepan, cook the milk and 1 cup of cream until bubbles form on the sides of the pan. Add a small amount of milk to the eggs, stirring well, and then add a little more. Pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the mixture from the heat, and place the bowl in an ice bath to cool.

In a separate bowl, beat the remaining cream until it is light and fluffy. Fold it into the milk and egg mixture, along with the macadamia nuts. Follow your ice cream maker’s instructions to freeze the ice cream, and then store it in the freezer.

Flavor Suggestions:

While this recipe is delicious with our plain Nuts in the Nude or Natural Sea Salt mac nuts, we recommend experimenting with some other flavors to create unique ice cream sensations. Vanilla Crunch and Caramel Crunch are delicious choices. Combining sweet and smoky flavors is also popular right now (have you noticed all of the bacon-flavored products on shelves?) and our Sweet ‘n Smoky nuts are perfect for creating this taste.

Visit Hawaii’s Local Buzz to explore our selection of crunchy and delicious mac nuts.